Judge orders parrot to appear in court

BOCA RATON, Fla., April 5 (UPI) -- An African Grey parrot must appear in a Florida court as part of a civil lawsuit over its rightful owner, a judge says.

Palm Beach County Judge James Martz ordered the $2,000 parrot to appear in his court Monday to help decide which Boca Raton, Fla., woman owns the bird, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Saturday.

On one side of the legal battle is 52-year-old Angela Colicheski, who insists she purchased the parrot 13 years ago. She alleges her parrot flew away 3 years ago, only to reappear in the possession of 47-year-old Sarita Lytell.

Lytell alleges she found her parrot, also an African Grey, around the same time of the disappearance of Colicheski's bird, but refuses to hand over her beloved pet.

Colicheski's attorney, Spencer Siegel, told the Sun-Sentinel his client hopes to win her lawsuit by having Lytell bring her parrot into court.

"The bird wears an identification ring on his claw," Siegel said. "And we feel that it's necessary (to prove ownership) if the numbers on the ring become essential."